A source told the Daily Mirror: “Christian and Syed have had a colourful and controversial relationship in Albert Square from day one. Syed felt torn between his Muslim faith and how he felt in his heart.

“He went ahead with his marriage to Amira despite telling his mum about his feelings for Christian – and those feelings have not gone away.”

Producers are also said to be discussing plans for the gay couple to have a child by surrogate.

Christian and Syed’s relationship began in 2009, just before Syed was due to marry a woman.

Rival soap Coronation Street is also set to have its first gay parents and civil partnership.